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GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE December 18, 2009

www.GayPeoplesChronicle.com

A comfortably amusing bit of holiday fluff

by Anthony Glassman

This is an open letter to TLA Releasing.. One must most strongly protest your latest holiday confection, Make the Yuletide Gay.

Not only is the title an incredibly trite use of a line from a Christmas carol, but the entire film is so disconcertingly goyishe that one must ingest the better part of an Entenmann's Raspberry Danish Twist just

For the love of God, don't ask.

to keep from running to the nearest Lutheran church.

For Pete's sake, the one Jewish character in the film is gone three minutes into the DVD!

Admittedly, what at first sight appears to be some rampagingly twinkish little bit of fluff turns out to be quite amusing. The writing is far wittier than was expected.

Writer-director Rob Williams put together a nice, funny, warm little film about

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TLA RELEASING

Olaf Gunnunderson, college senior, coming home for the holidays, and his boyfriend, Nathan Stanford, surprising him when his own parents bailed on their plans to instead go on a cruise to the Holy Land.

Adamo Ruggiero, of the television show Degrassi: The Next Generation, is admittedly adorable as Nathan, and Keith Jordan does a nice job with the role of Olaf.

Kelly Keaton and Derek Long are fairly hysterical as Olaf's parents, and the cameos by soap opera star Ian Buchanan and Star Trek: The Next Generation's Gates McFadden are unexpected, though possibly too brief.

(Hmmm... Both mother and son were in shows with "The Next Generation" in the title. Coincidence, or something more, Mr. Williams?)

The mean neighbor, Heather Mancuso, is played by Alison Amgrim, known for playing the mean neighbor in Little House on the Prairie. Can this poor woman not escape this typecasting?

(Of course, in all fairness, she "takes pride in the fact that so many people enjoyed hating her as a girl and is more than happy to give them the opportunity to do so in the future," according to her Internet Movie Database mini-biography, which she wrote herself.)

While some of the acting may seem a little forced, it is an independent comedy, so that can be forgiven.

What cannot be forgiven, however, is the callous disregard for Jewish queers renting DVDs across the nation.

Unless next year's holiday season sees the release of Homo for Hanukkah, which I would be more than happy to write and direct, an immediate and completely half-hearted boycott of all your products will be launched. Thank you.

ол

Keith Jordan, left, and Adamo Ruggiero ponder whether there are eggs in eggnog, and what exactly "nog" is.

TLA RELEASING

charlie'scalendar

Saturday, December 19

Liberation UCC Holiday Party, food, beverages, games, raffles, auctions and more, $25, advance ticket purchases eligible for door prize drawings, Slim and Chubby's, 1292 Prospect Rd, Strongsville (Cleveland); 216-521-5556, libucc@aol.com.

Chanukah and Gift Exchange Party, 25th anniversary event with Chevrei Tikva Chavurah, potluck supper, bring a menorah and candles if you have one, at a private member's home in the Cleveland area; 216-464-1330 ext. 126. TransOhio Holiday Party, cookies and snacks provided by TransOhio's Partners' Group, raffles for holiday baskets and goodies, 7 pm, Club Diversity, 863 South High Street, Columbus; www.transohio.org.

For a Full Year of Events:

Holiday Lights, evening of celebration presented by Colors of Cleveland Pride, 8 pm VIP reception, 10 pm general public community fundraiser, Mean Bull, 1313 East 26th Street, Cleveland; 216-923-1518, www.colorsof clevelandpride.org.

Sunday, December 20

Winter Wonderland, family gala to raise funds for Mercury Summer Stock's My First Musical program, children's adventure and fun stations, cookie and punch buffet, raffle, art, holiday treats, live music, $12 adults, $5 children 12 and under (includes holiday stocking filled with goodies), 5 pm, Greenbrier Square, 6285 Pearl Rd, Parma Heights (Cleveland); 216-771-5862, www.mercurysummerstock.com.

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Womyn's Winter Solstice Celebration, potluck, singing, ritual and bonfire presented by the Susan B. Anthony Womyn's Land Trust, cabin available for $30, guest rooms $20, open to all women and to boys under 10, Athens County; 740-448-1017, susanbanthony@frognet.net. Sisters Holiday Wreath Auction, presented by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Missionary Sisters of Cleveland, benefits the Cleveland LGBT Center; 6 pm, Leather Stallion, 2205 St. Clair Ave; hand-made or store-bought

wreaths can be donated at the Stallion before then; also non-perishable food for the AIDS Taskforce's Jon Brittain Food Bank; www.ohsisters.org.

Jingle Bell Follies, benefit show for Providence House crisis nursery, featuring dozens of performers, $10, $5 with donation of nonperishable food item or other donation for Providence House, 8:15 pm, Bounce, 2814 Detroit Ave, Cleveland; www.provhouse.org/ gifts/wish_list.asp.

Monday, December 21

Winter Solstice Celebration, presented by Violet Flame, open to all women, potluck 6 pm, ritual 7 pm, at a west side Cleveland location; 216-571-2518.

Wednesday, December 23

Tré Gay Taizé, contemplative Advent series of prayer services from an LGBT perspective, light supper 6 pm, service 7 pm, Liberation UCC, 13714 Madison Ave, Lakewood (Cleveland); 216-521-5556.

Thursday, December 24

Christmas Eve Services, casual and contemporary, family-friendly service at 5 pm, meditative, classic service at 7 pm, staffed nursery for children 6 months to 3 years old provided for both services, light refreshments between services, Franklin Circle Christian Church, 1688 Fulton Rd, Cleveland; 216-781-8232, www.franklincirclechurch.org.

Saturday, December 26

Boxing Day Brunch, presented by Asians and Friends Cleveland, 11 am, at a private home in Garfield Heights (Cleveland); www.afcleveland

.org.

Johnny Hazzard, porn star appearing in person from 12 noon to 2 pm, Body Language, northeast corner of West 115th Street and Lorain Ave, Cleveland; 216-251-3330.

Monday, December 28

How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship and Musical Theater, by Marc Acito, to be discussed at the 10% Book Club, 7:30 pm, Liberation UCC, 13714 Madison Ave, Lakewood (Cleveland); damichcoop@ roadrunner.com.

-Compiled by Anthony Glassman